Watering was done... it's still hot

 Not ragingly hot but hot enough for the AC middle of the day to sunset. Still debating on ripping everything but the oregano out for now. Yes, it's been over almost two weeks since I last posted, been busy with things and staying inside for most of it. Shouldn't really have done heavy watering but the poor dirt was so dry.

 

First day I was able to get out I just filled the little half gallon jug with water a few times and made sure the plants got water. The jalapeno has had 'taco' leaves for a week despite watering heavily yesterday. The other two peppers seem to be at a stand still as well.

 

There is a haze over the city due to fires which is making it difficult for me to get a full breath which is unheard of. It also makes doing anything outside rather well planned and careful. Hard to see in the pictures but there is definitely a brown haze close to the horizon.

 

Something did a number on my pinwheel, one of the petals was off so I just pulled it out and put it on the crate. You can see the 'taco' shape of the pepper leaves, that's before I watered like crazy (which I shouldn't have). And one lone little cluster of hawthorn flowers on a bush.

 

Rocky doing his typical 'master of all I see' pose. Flat surface, not the grass and in the shade. Speaking of shade... the stripping has begun. The Mourning Cloak caterpillars have hatched and started to strip the tips of the branches on the liquid amber trees.

After what I thought was a thorough watering with the absolute travesty of a leaky hose. Got my feet and 'garden shoes' soaked, shorts wet, sprayed my face... Last two peppers, half size and the plant still is suffering looking like it's not getting enough water. The peppers even at that size are plenty spicy enough so I'll have to wait another day or two to pull them and the plant. It's not wilting per se, but it's definitely stressed. The little tomato is still hanging in there and again, deciding whether to just dump everything and prep for winter crops or keep plugging away with what I've got and hope they survive.

A little spider in one of the other pepper plants making a home. The leaves were all cupped together so I had to double check and make sure it wasn't stressed. Nope, being held together by this little garden helper.

Not much else to say or do.

Really not much going on

 Weather is holding steady with warm/hot days and light breezes. Watering is still being done by bucket and bottle until I can get a new hose.

Basically all that's left is three peppers and that small tomato that seems to be doing good. I had put some more soil on top because using the bucket and jug just washed the soil out. Which also means the fertilizer pellets I had put in there also washed out. Oh well. I made a watering well for the jalapeno to keep the water from just slip sliding over the surface all over.

Certainly does make a different of course. Another trick I've told people about and never used it in my own garden. Go figure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These last two peppers are actually getting good size, that larger one will be typical size first obviously which makes me a bit less anxious. No blemishes or bites as yet and with the watering basin it's staying hydrated properly. Will be watering again tonight and some more tomorrow so they're good for another day or two after I have surgery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I told Dolores that her potato plant had mites really bad, so what did she do? Just cut off the leaves. I don't even think she's worried about the potato as this was another volunteer from her compost. Then  there's my 'compost pile' with the last of the cilantro plants, and someone pulled weeds and put them on top. That will be in the 'to do' list for another month because that would involve getting the shovel and my tarp out to chop it all up.  If I have the energy and weather is right tomorrow evening I might try it.

 

As I was taking my shoes off on the front porch movement caught my eye and realized there was a good size lizard that just scooted behind our elephant. Yay! There have been scurrying and such noises and visuals in the garden of course, leaves rustling as I walk by so it's a good thing.

I have a video of Rocky checking out the mantid on the screen the other  night but need to edit it down to upload it. It was adorable to say the least. That will be for next time.

I don't take very many pictures if nothing is happening but I do check on things, or try to every day and with the heat and waking up later I am usually going out in the evening. We're about to close up for the day right now since it's 1pm and edging up to 88.

And more done

Weather continues to be warm during the day and cooling incredibly at night. Temps range from 80 to 65 so it's quite the swing and the clouds burned off before 11 this morning. If it weren't for the sun blasting the front of the apartment we wouldn't have to turn the AC on. So with all this sun, the garden gets baked very quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything was visibly wilted at noon. I couldn't water then because it was too hot and I had Rocky out for his grass time. So the yellowing is very noticeable on the squash now and a bit on the oregano and peppers. I just fertilized a few days ago so will see what happens. In the mean time... accidentally pulled up the squash.

This is what they looked like yesterday, again with all females or mostly and males not opening soon enough to get them pollinated. They may be hanging down but those two are bruised from rubbing against the edge of the bed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I actually pulled out the little squash seedling and had plopped it in the middle of the bed. Then decided to get the cultivator and stir the dirt around. In the process pulled up one of the major roots on the squash and most of the plant. It had very few solid roots and maybe a small clump of feeders... and it was thriving for the most part. I just tossed the whole thing on the compost pile because I didn't bring my clippers with me. 

Before, after and more after. First, I put the little squash seedling back in the cup and then used the cultivator to really stir the soil around and level it best I can without disturbing the last pepper plant that has two peppers on it. I kept the tomato seedling in the pot because it is way too young to survive on it's own and put the cage over it as a reminder. I had to reposition the cage a few times so the legs went deeper than six inches due to hitting the logs. 

Yes I have those bright pink gloves but they are too tight to wear and difficult to get on and off.

 

 

I also stirred up the west bed and watered the peppers fairly good. Not holding out for peppers from those two and may well pull them as well this coming week. We had a visitor last night as well! Cousin of Manny the Mantid was attracted by the light and was hanging out on the window screen. No more than inch and a half so just a little guy (can barely see him just above the white car). Rocky took an interest and unfortunately chased him off but good to know the mantids are still around.

I tried to use some of my tomatoes and jalapeno in a 'roasted' salsa... it did not turn out very good. I held back on some of the spices and didn't have any cilantro so, will try again and do it with fresh ingredients instead. 

I am trying to get things pared down for garden chores because a week from tomorrow I'll be going in for surgery. I won't be able to do much for at least two weeks and thankfully Dolores came out to the garden as I was leaving and I told her I was watering with a bucket and gave her permission to water my beds if they need it after next week. She has an eggplant with mites really bad and they are spreading to some marigolds and the potato plant. Another reason not to plant anything at the moment is the wind would carry them down to the end of the garden where my plants are. 

That's all for now, will see if anything happens this week.

 

Well things were done yesterday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer in the garden, blasting hot sun and clear blue skies by noon. It's been downright overcast and wonderfully cool in the morning but it doesn't last long. It'll be up to 80+ again this weekend. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't go out all day because of the heat so I made sure to bring a trash bag and my clippers down to the garden when the sun went down. It was time to pull up the tomatoes. I had left three tomatoes on the crate, not really caring if they were there the next day. Well, some thing decided to snack on just one. They were all on that pink cloth before.

     

I was cutting away with the bag on the ground propped over the edge of the bed then remembered my trick from last year. Tomato cage with bag, genius! The first plant I cut and pulled was the one on the right. One long root went all the way to the squash plant, just kept going and going and the soil, despite watering the other day, was still rather dry so easy to pull it up. The second one was the middle plant and those roots were mostly contained in that area but also relatively smaller root ball than the other one. The third was the larger plant and root ball that matched it's height. I took a video of me trying to pull it up. Hard to hold a phone and pull something one handed so forgive the off center and shaky camera moves.

 They all came up fairly easy actually, which is a testament to the soil in there. As soon as the squash and peppers are done, another two bags of soil go in and gets mixed. I used my hands to stir the dirt around and remove the major clumps of roots. When I stuck the tomato cage in, it hit the logs at the bottom fairly short. Which isn't good. 

All clean, all pretty as we say. Next up will be peas/sweet peas possibly on that trellis. I also trimmed off a few of the squash leaves that were old and had large patches of mildew. While I was inspecting the peppers, this one came off fairly easy as well as another one. So this is why I can't get them to size, they're just popping off when they feel like they're done. I used one in some pico salsa and let me tell you.... they are spicy! No need to let them get any bigger, which is another reason why I think they're actually serranos. Will try not to bother the rest of the peppers and see what happens. 

The squash I am just about to give up on, that one at the top *may* be pollinated as it's dropped a bit but the others not so much. Not going to bother planting the other squash seedling, really need two or three bushes to get good pollination so that will be next year.

The day of watering heavily above, and the bottom is the day after. I used the shovel and the hose to get the soil completely soaked in the south bed. The soil sank a good half inch in the area I had dug up. That soil also needs another bag or half bag of amendment as well. Before I plant anything else there I really want to get a frame at least 12 inches above ground to contain the soil needed. The whole garden is jury rigged from decades ago so if I can swing it, I want to help that last bed. I worked my ass off for the west bed to get it gopher prevented and the south bed is kind of half assed gopher protection. I just need a 12 x 12 x 1/2 inch board cut into specific lengths then need corner posts to nail/screw them into. So that's the 'proper' way to do it which I will likely not have energy/money to do. Will see what happens in another three or four months.

This whole complex is built and designed when they though that seniors 55+ were more active. HA! The garden is one of those spaces that should very well have been all raised beds not in ground and also maintained. From what I was told it was a kind of community type area but then some resident got a twist in her panties and the complex management released any liability or responsibility for it. As a result it fell into disrepair because most seniors aren't interested in gardening or don't have the money/energy to do so. As a result it's a trip/fall hazard, hoses and supplies are up to the gardener to supply and so there's only three of us that ...well two of us that have any idea of what we're doing with very little funds to do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not even sure if I want to plant that tiny tomato seedling either. Sure we have another two or three months of warm weather but the only place to plant it is where the other tomatoes were. Which is bad. Need to find some shelling peas to go in there for September and am really disappointed the beans didn't come up, but from what someone else said they didn't have luck this year either. So maybe it was just timing or the seeds. Maybe now that I've stirred up the dirt and watered well they're going to say 'wow let's grow!' I didn't see anything that looked like seeds but then they'd been buried in black soil for weeks and are not likely white anymore. Didn't even see anything resembling a stem either so not holding out any hope for them.

So that's it for today, plants are out, still no hose, doing what I can with what I've got.

Summer winds on, not much in pictures

 Not sure if it's going to get hellaciously hot but it's warm enough. Right now it's breezy but very warm 80+ today and will continue that trend through the weekend. Hose is still not replaced but am watering best  I can.

Unless those peppers start gaining some girth, I think they're actually serranos. Seriously they are big enough for being serrano right now. The state of the main bed right now is bleh. Still getting mostly female flowers on the squash so a lot of the fruit is just dying on the bush. I pollinated another one last night with an older male flower and will hope for the best. Next year, definitely planting more than one bush if I want a better crop.

Current harvest status of the tomatoes... that was three days ago and the two groups on the counter are both from what I had in the fridge. Any that I pick now are going on the table. Might even shift some of these down there as well. After I make some fresh salsa again. I had half a jalapeno from the store and diced that up with onion and fresh tomato and cilantro for shrimp tacos the other day.

And there is mildew on the squash, mostly the older leaves of course because that's where I've been splashing water. No big deal because that's mostly done as well. Why do those plants always head for the corner? Technically they are growing south which is actually smart on their part, growing toward the most sunlight. I wonder if open field squash just grow as a bush rather than off to a side?

It's only another week or so before what's left of the tomato bushes come out. I may or may not be in a physical state to be able to do that so I may have to take care of that this weekend. The two tomato seedlings are now down to one. I looked at them last night and one had been munched on to the stem. Had to pull that one out and the other one is doing fine so far. Also the other squash seedling is going to get pulled, too late in the season for that. I'm wondering if those bean seeds never sprouted due to age, checked the package and they were packed for sale in 2022. That's only 3 years but still, it's also possible the soil got too dry and hot even being pushed down almost two inches. 

So that's all for now, cilantro will be sprouting when it starts getting cool then it's time for lettuces again but not for another two or three months.